Bluetooth

Target is adding an improved indoor mapping component to its mobile app, designed to help shoppers find their way through stores and locate the products they need, the retailer announced this morning, referring to the feature as a “GPS for your shopping cart.” Instead of simply showing a static map, or noting the aisle number where a product can be found, the new Target… Read More

August has updated its smart lock line with a new Pro version with Bluetooth, HomeKit, and Wi-Fi support, as well as the more basic model for $149. They’ve also announced the Doorbell Cam Pro for $199 that lets you see visitors approaching your domicile, even at night.
The August is unique in that it depends entirely on the phone for usage, improving security but eschewing the keypad. Read More

Security company Armis has found a collection of eight exploits, collectively called BlueBorne, that can allow an attacker access to your phone without touching it. The attack can allow access to computers and phones, as well as IoT devices.
“Armis believes many more vulnerabilities await discovery in the various platforms using Bluetooth. These vulnerabilities are fully operational, and… Read More

Wi-Fi, DSRC, Bluetooth, NFC — there are so many ways to connect without cables that ethernet seems retro, like a flip phone. But ethernet is staging a comeback in our cars. Manufacturers are using this old-school technology to connect the sensors that allow for advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) and baby steps toward self-driving cars. Read More

The Nintendo Switch’s Bluetooth controllers work with a range of different platforms, it turns out – making for some of the most flexible console controllers currently available. The Xbox One and PlayStation DualShock 4 controllers can also connect to a range of devices using Bluetooth, but the Joy-Cons seem to be ready to use with Macs out of the box with no additional software… Read More

As usual Mr. Krebs has some great images of a credit card skimmer found in the wild. This model uses Samsung phone parts and lays right over the Ingenico card scanners you’ve probably seen in stores. The interesting thing is that these scanners also support chip and PIN technology but, as evidenced by the photo, it looks like the retailer disabled it essentially sending the scanner back… Read More

When the original $5 Raspberry Pi Zero came out – to much fanfare, I might add – users connected it to all sorts of things. They made micro gaming rigs that ran on the 1GHz single-core CPU and added Pi Hats – little breakout boards – to power robots and sensors. Now you can do all that but without worrying about a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth dongle.
The $10 Pi Zero W is the… Read More

The dating game sure is tough to maintain. Zurich-based dating app Blinq has been acquired by a Swiss outdoor advertising firm, APG|SGA, with the latter coveting the team’s experience in rolling out beacon networks for a new division that will be developing interactive ads. Read More

Sengled is the latest manufacturer to jump into the smart bulb space and their products, while a bit behind the curve, are clever and – most important – cheap. Their smartest smart bulbs are $10 cheaper than the arguably top-of-the-line LIFX bulbs and they also offer the Pulse, a pair of bulbs containing an LED light source and JBL Bluetooth speakers for about $100.
First… Read More

When we last left Polish smart lighting company Silvair they were working on a way to create a Bluetooth mesh network between you, your kettle, your lightbulbs, and countless other devices in the home. After two years of work the company has perfected their systems and are now offering occupancy sensing, beacons, customer tracking and lighting to enterprise customers using a unique set of… Read More

While cycling apps are thick on the ground, a full gadget ecosystem is hard to come by. Seattle startup Coros is looking to change that with the Linx, a helmet-app combo (with handlebar controller) that lets you listen to music, take calls, get turn-by turn directions and track progress made along your route. I’ve tried it, and this thing actually seems like a good idea. Read More

Snapchat has given observers another reason to suspect it might be working on hardware – the social network company joined the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) according to the Financial Times. The SIG industry association maintains the Bluetooth wireless standard, and membership is a necessary prerequisite for companies that want to employ Bluetooth in any hardware… Read More

There’s no shortage of portable Bluetooth speakers out there, but lord are a lot of them ugly. What I need is something that will not look amiss sitting on a stump next to me while I hew a yew in my red plaid flannel. Wait, what’s this one?! Read More

Sony’s XAV-AX100 in-dash car stereo system might be the best way to get your hands on Android Auto or CarPlay without plunking down a fortune for a new car. The new receivers will retail for $499.99 when it hits stores in late November, and boasts a 6.4-inch, 800 x 480 touch screen, along with NFC support, Bluetooth, aux input and a dedicated hardware button for triggering voice… Read More

If we’re ever to have things like smart contact lenses and permanent brain implants, one of the things we need to figure out is the power problem. Those devices need energy for collecting, processing and especially transmitting data — but that last one might not be a problem anymore, thanks to a new technique called interscatter communication. Read More

Everything you do to make your commute better is like an early-stage investment in your success at work. Start earning dividends early by borrowing some of our hundreds of hours of research and picking up the best devices and accessories for commuters. They make your twice-daily trek by car, rail or bike worry-free, comfortable, and sometimes even fun. Read More

At $80, the Jabra Halo Smart is in a bit of a gray area. It’s hardly what the majority of users would call “cheap,” but it still comes in well below other wireless offerings from companies like Jaybird. They’re not fitness buds, nor are they focused on sound or comfort.
Jabra, much to its credit, went a different route entirely, eschewing the focuses of most… Read More

And as rumors continue to swirl around the end of the headphone jack as we know it, such a play couldn’t come at a more opportune time for Jaybird. The company is arguably as well positioned as anyone to be the first Bluetooth earbud to the masses. But will the Freedom be the set to put the company over the top? Read More